The magnetic enhancement of paleosol is observed in the Chinese loess. The
origin of this magnetic enhancement is still very uncertain. It is, however
, a key problem in correctly understanding the paleoclimatic significance o
f changes of magnetic susceptibility and in transferring the magnetic signa
ls to paleoclimatic parameters. Two main models have been proposed to expla
in the mechanism of magnetic enhancement in paleosols: a depositional model
and a pedogenic model. Together with composition and concentration, grain
size distribution of magnetic minerals also plays an important role to the
magnetic enhancement of paleosols. Systematic susceptibility measurements w
ere carried out on the samples of the upper part (S-0 to top of L-2) of thr
ee loess sections from Jixian, Xifeng, and Xining, along an east-west trans
ect in the loess plateau, China. The samples with the highest value of magn
etic susceptibility in S-1 and the lowest value in L-2 of each section were
selected as the representatives. These representatives were separated into
different grain size fractions based on Stokes' law for coarse grains and
by centrifuge for fine grains. Measurements of magnetic susceptibility and
mass have been carried out on these fractions. Results show that for the lo
esses magnetic susceptibility changes little in the fractions with differen
t grain size and for the paleosols it increases with decreasing grain size.
The magnitude of changes is bigger in the east (Jixian and Xifeng) than th
at in the west (Xining). The fraction with the finest particle size in pale
osols does not show very high magnetic susceptibility values. A new approac
h is used to estimate the contribution of each fraction to total magnetic s
usceptibility. The contribution comes mainly from coarse grains (>10 mu m)
for loess samples. It reaches about 90%. The main contribution comes, howev
er, from the particles with medium size (10-0.2 mu m). The very fine graine
d particle(< 0.3 mu m), which is considered to be with the pedogenic origin
, contributes little to the bulk magnetic susceptibility, no more than 3% b
ecause of their very little amount. This approach provides a sounder basis
for the study of the origin of the magnetic susceptibility enhancement in p
aleosols and of the paleoclimatic significance of magnetic susceptibility o
f loess and paleosols. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd and INQUA. All rights
reserved.